Jewelry



`lune 10, 1941.

J= A. s. FURLONGE JEWELRY Filed Jan. 27, 194';i

y.pasted together.

Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED ,STATES PATENT ortica 2,244,944 JEWELRY James A. S. Furlonge, Hollywood, Calif. Application January 27, 1941, Serial No. 376,191

(Cl. (i3-.2)

8 Claims.

The invention relates to jewelry and particularly to improvements in manufacture and use of artificial flowers for jewelry purposes.

An object of the invention is to improve the appearance of articial flowers when used as an ornament with a chain or necklace by providing a substantially direct connection between the flowers and the chain, whereby the flowers are supported in close proximity to the chain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a single means serving the double function of a foundation piece on which the petals of the flower are built up to make the completed flower, and a fastener for1 engaging (preferably in a removable manner) a link of the chain.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved foundation piece for the flower for one or more of the following purposes: (1)v so that the foundation piece shall emerge centrally of the base o f the flower, (2) to improve the interlock between the foundation piece and the layers of the flower, and (3) to facilitate the manufacture of the flower and improve its construction and appearance.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to the drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a View of a necklace ornamented with artificial Ilowers in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of a portion of the chain and one of the flowers of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line B-B of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of a modification of the flower of Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in elevation of a modification of Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the chain I may be worn around the neck or elsewhere and has a plurality of articial flowers 2 to 6 directly fastened thereto at spaced points therealong. In the case illustrated, the central flower 4 may be a comparatively large full blown flower and the remainder 2, 3, 5 and 6 may be buds. The bud 2 is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and as shown therein it terminates at its base with a wire stem or foundation piece 'I which may be bent around one of the links 8 of the chain I, and then bent on itself as illustrated at 9 with the base I 0 of flower 2 in close proximity to the chain I.

The flower 2, and the same is true of the remainder of the flowers 3 to 6, may be made of a plurality of layers II and I2. Each layer in turn comprises a number of sheets of crepe paper The core I3 comprises a roll of similar paper and around the base of this core I3 is coiled oneend of the wire l. In making the flower; as is well known, first the core I3 is formed, then the wire 'I is wrapped around it as illustrated at I4, then the layers I I and I2 which form the petals are threaded over the wire l, all while the'paper is somewhat plastic due to the fact that the paste between the sheets is moist. Thereafter the calyx vI5 is threaded over the Wire 'I and the flower allowed to dry. The layers or petals II and I2 and the core I3 may be suitably tinted. In order to give the flower a durable porcelain-like finish, preferably I give the finished flower a plurality of coasts of lacquer as represented at I 6. This lacquer is transparent so that the color and tinting of the petals may be readily seen through it. The lacquer nish permits the flower to be readily cleaned and preserves its shape.

By directly connecting the flowers 2 to 6 to spaced links along the chain I, I improve the appearance of the necklace by closely associating the flowers with the chain. One disadvantage of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is that the foundation piece or stem I lies at one side of the core I3 whereby it emerges from the base It) abaxially there-of. In other words, the flower 2 is offset with respect to the stem 'I, i. e. one flower may be offset on the chain in one direction, and another flower may be offset in another direction, giving an unsightly appearance. I overcome this and improve the construction of the flower by forming the core of the flower of a double length U shaped central petal portion or layer I1 as shown in Fig. 4. The wire I8 is passed around the middle portion of the layer II and is then bent on itself as shown at I9. Thereafter the other layers which comprise the remaining leaves and the calyx are threaded on the wire I8 and lacquered as described in connection with Fig. 3. It will be apparent that the bight 2| of the double length layer I'I engages and is interlocked with the bight 22 of the loop 23 in the end of wire I8. The advantages of this arrangement are as follows: in the first place, it is easier to secure wire I8 in position around the mid-portion of layer I'I, while holding the two ends of layer I'l in the ngers, than it is t-o wind wire I tightly around the core I3 and then turn this wire on itself as shown at I4. In the second place, a flower made with a wound core as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 always has a similar spirally curved end as shown at 2U in Fig. 2, whereas, the ends of the layer Il do not present a continuous spiral curve thereby breaking up the lines of the petal and presenting a more realistic appearance. Furthermore, the wire I8 in Fig. 4 emerges centrally of the base of the flower and not off to one side of it as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the flowers of Fig. 4 are all centrally positioned with respect t-o the support, such a-s chain I, on which they are fastened. A flower made with the stemAIB as shown in Fig. 4 may be fastened directly to the chain as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 which provides a somewhat permanent connection; that is to say, it Would be possible to untwistthe wire 9 in Fig. 2, but it would be rather awkward, and not as easy as with the removable clasp 21 of Fig. 5.

The improvement of Fig. 4 is carried forward in Fig. 5 wherein the core 24 as in Fig. 4 isa l double length layer, the bight 25 .of which is the arrangement of Fig. 5 makes it possible to sell the flowers without a chain, leaving it to the wearers to arrange various flowers on their own chains as desired.

I claim:

1. An article of jewelry comprising a substantially U-shaped clasp having a bight and jaws, an artificial flower having a base mounted on the bight of said clasp, and the jaws of said clasp comprising means for removably clasping a support.

2. An article of jewelry comprising a clasp having spring jaws for receiving a chain, said clasp linked with the bght 26 of loop28a of a clasp 21 Y having spring jaws 28 and 29 to engage' a link 30 of the chain l. The clasp 21 may be of metal and the jaws 28 and 29 have raised portions 3l and 32 respectively to enter the hole in the link 3D to frictionally prevent the link 30 from slipping out from the jaws. If desired, the ends of jaws 28 and 29, as shown, may be bent slightly towards each other to further frictionally prevent the link 39 from slipping in the jaws 28 and 29. The clasp 21 thereby serves as a central stem or foundation piece on which the flower 33 is fashioned as in Figs. 3 and 4, the core 24 extending through and inside of the clasp 21, with the other flower layers 34 and 35 threaded over clasp 21 and arranged outside of the clasp- 21 as shown in Fig. 5. The clasp 21 therefore serves the double function of a foundation piece for the flower 33, as well as a spring clasp for rthe link 30. f j

having an enlarged loop portion, and a multi- .layer articial flower mounted on said clasp with the core of said flower comprising a double length layer linked with said loop portion.

3. An article of jewelry according to claim 2 wherein said-jaws have raised portions adapted to enter the hole in a link in said chain.

. 4; An article of jewelry comprising a foundation piece, an artificial ower having its base securedto said foundation piece, said foundation piece `comprising means directly secured to the link of chain with the base of said ilower in close proximity to said link.

5. An article of jewelry comprising means for clasping a chain, and an artificial flower mounted on saidmeans. v

6. In jewelry, an artificial flower having a stem comprising a chain clasp.

'1. In jewelry employing a chain and an artificial flower having a plurality of layers, a foundation piece interlocked with said layers at one end thereof and directly secured to a link of said chain at the other end thereof.

8. In jewelry, a chain clasp having an aperture to house a portion of the layers of a multi-layer artificial flower.

` JAMES A. S. FURLONGE. 

